“From the fringes to the frontline” How women are changing the nature of war photography By Melanie Abrams

I found this article both inspiring and also hard to read, as we see how strong sexism is and how it plays a role in the way stories are told. This is a general statement, and when pulled back, it is even more interesting when applying it to high-conflict and humanitarian interests like war photography and journalism.

I found the article to be thought provoking, as Abrams explored the reality of what being women is like, owning and using stereotypical labels to tell a story in a way they though to be important and powerful. She discussed attributes about how generally speaking, women are less threatening, which lead them to get permission to enter houses and areas that men could not, which often included spaces where people were getting medical treatment and care, and getting more intimate stories because of this.

“Matthews points out other differences: “Women sometimes think of better ways to capture a story. We look behind the action and have different priorities, such as the human interest. Twenty years ago, there were rarely any images of the women who were left behind in conflict zones. Now, because of women photographers, you see images of refugee camps all the time – taken by men as well as women.” Edelstein adds that “women are prepared to look at the emotional undergrowth of the situations we’re in.”” (The Guardian)